


Phantasm

by Smelly_Trash_Panda



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gay Panic, Getting Together, Good Akechi Goro, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Metaverse (Persona 5), Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Mutual Pining, Needles, Persona 5 Protagonist Has A Palace, Persona 5 Spoilers, Police Brutality, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:06:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26674132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smelly_Trash_Panda/pseuds/Smelly_Trash_Panda
Summary: That night, in the aftermath of a successful palace raid turned living nightmare, Akira Kurusu broke for the first time in his life.This is an AU in which Joker gets a palace. The story takes place directly after Sae's palace.Goro Akechi isn't the black mask, nor is there a black mask.Sae also actually gets her heart changed.This story will get rather intense in some spots, so if you're sensitive to things such as mental illness, this might not be for you.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 42
Kudos: 181





	1. Breaking Point

Flashing lights. Shattered glass. Gunshots. Screams. 

A foggy haze clouded his vision and his body felt like it was floating. Someone was crying but he couldn't tell who.

Handcuffs. Empty syringes. Cold cement floors. A bruised and battered body laying at the feet unfeeling adults.

His throat tightened as his memories started flooding in.

_They were in Sae's palace, about to leave with the treasure when they were ambushed._

He let out a strangled cry, calling out for his teammates in desperate hope that they weren't already dead.

 _Oracle quickly plotted out an escape route and they split up. He ran out into the open to create a distraction while everyone else snuck off with the treasure. Distorted_ voices were cutting through his hazy delirium, screaming his name. _He was almost out, the window just ahead would be the perfect exit. Leaping onto the rails of the balcony to avoid the pursuing shadows and cops he made his break to the window. He paused only momentarily to give his chasers a smirk before diving through the rain of coloured glass to his freedom… or so he thought._

He could feel hands gripping his shoulders tightly and his throat went dry. The crying grew louder, and the voice sounded oddly familiar.

 _The moment he rolled out of his perfect landing he was surrounded and taken down without mercy. When he came too again he was inside a dark, cold room. It was at this point where his memory grew hazier and the only things that broke through into his consciousness were flashes of fists and syringes being forcefully shoved beneath his skin._

His vision cleared slightly and he could make out a crowd of figures standing over him. The grip on his shoulders tightened and he was thrown back into his memories. He screamed and trashed around, trying to avoid the invisible syringes and punches. At some point during his struggle he realized that the crying from before had been his, but that didn't matter anymore. 

His vision was finally coming into focus, and he recognized the terrified faces of his friends and family along with a certain tearful detective gripping his shoulders and crying out his name. 

"Kurusu! Kurusu it's me! You're safe!" 

Akira blinked a few times as the fog cleared from his vision. "A...kechi?" He asked hoarsely in a voice far too weak to be his own.

"Yeah," the brunet before him said with relief.

Suddenly, the other theives started crowding him, their voices and concern mixing into a painfully jarring cacophony. 

"Akira!"

"What happened!?"

"Are you okay?"

"Akira!"

"Akira!!"

"Stop it!" He screamed, his throat burned as tears flooded his vision again. "STOP IT!" He screamed again, "St-top i-it!" His words came out broken as he started to choke on his tears and sobs. Needing to get away and hide, he dove into the only sanctuary that he could find: Akechi. Akira shoved his face into the detective's chest and clutched his expensive coat as though it was his lifeline. 

"Alright that's enough! Give him some space!" Shouted a gruff voice that could only be Sojiro. 

The theives all quieted down and shuffled backwards, though he could still hear them murmuring worriedly. Akira continued sobbing into Akechi's chest, undoubtedly soaking his coat and ruining it, but he didn't have the mental capacity to register that right now.

"It's okay, we're all here for you." Said an uncertain voice. 

Akira felt a low rumble come from the chest he had his face buried in, so he knew it was Akechi. Under normal circumstances he'd wonder where the sudden compassion came from as the detective had a record of being bad with emotions. So, he also didn't question the shaky arms that wrapped around him in a gentle embrace. "No…" he whispered, his voice muffled by the boy embracing him. "It's not okay…" He felt the mask slip off his face and shatter. The confidence and strength of Joker was gone now; all that remained was Akira. "I can't do it anymore…" he gasped, all the emotions and fears once repressed by his mask finally bursting free.

That night, in the aftermath of a successful palace raid turned living nightmare, Akira Kurusu broke for the first time in his life. 


	2. Palace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd update both of my other fics first... But I love this one too much and I'm still working on ideas for the next installment in the JDRonica series sooooo have more angsty gays!

It had been a week the Phantom Thieves had successfully stolen their sixth heart, and a week since they lost their leader. 

The bell on LeBlanc's door jingled lightly as Goro pushed his way into the coffee shop. A tired and downtrodden Sojiro looked up from behind the empty counter. 

"Hey kid," he snuffed out the cigarette he'd been smoking and dropped it into an overflowing ashtray.

Goro wrinkled his nose at the foul smell of the smoke and gave Sojiro a concerned glance. "You should really stop smoking those Sakura-san, it's terrible for your health." 

"I suppose you're right." Replied the gruff man, dumping out the ashtray. They both knew it would be full again soon though; the man's smoking had increased massively ever since Akira broke down. "Can I get you a coffee?"

Goro shook his head, "is… Kurusu-kun doing any better?"

Sojiro sighed and took a long sip of his cup of coffee. "No, he's the same as yesterday."

Goro slumped over a bit, the tiny speck of hope he'd felt that morning vanishing. "I see." He'd been coming by everyday since Akira's breakdown to check in on the boy. It had _nothing_ to do with the flutter in his chest when he saw Akira's handsome face, nope, it was purely for the sake of the Phantom Theives… or so he told himself.

"How about you take this curry to him?" Sojiro said, snapping Goro out of this thoughts. The man was holding a small tray with four plates or curry on it.

_Four?_ He thought as he took the tray. Sojiro must have seen his confusion, for he explained the extra plates to him.

"Futaba and the cat are up there too."

"Ah," he definitely didn't feel a bit disappointed to know that he wouldn't be alone with Akira. Morgana was one thing, he was easy to ignore, but Futaba was another thing all together. He quietly thanked Sojiro and made his way up the stairs, pretending that he didn't hear the click of a lighter. 

When Goro reached the last step and entered into the attic two heads turned towards him. 

"Oooh, food!" Said Futaba enthusiastically, running over and snatching one of the plates for herself. He felt a tiny smile tug at his lips, even now she was still energetic. Walking over to the bed, he placed the tray down on the cluttered desk that Akira used to make infiltration tools. "Curry?" He asked Morgana. 

The cat nodded silently and jumped into the desk to pick at the food on one of the plates.

Goro let out a sigh and pulled up a chair next to Futaba at Akira's bedside. "Kurusu-kun, Sakura-san made you some curry. Why don't you sit up and eat?" He said, trying hard to be comforting and encouraging. His words still ended up sounding awkward and a tad forced though. _I really need to get better with this "emotion" stuff._

The frizzy haired Phantom Thief remained silent and kept his back turned to all of them. The only reason Goro knew he was still alive was the slow rise and fall of his back as he breathed. 

"Come on Akiraaaa Morgana is gonna eat it all and get fat if you don't hurry up!" Teased Futaba, gently poking her, basically, adoptive brother. 

Akira moved a tiny bit, curling farther into himself and the safety of his blankets. Goro looked to Morgana for help, as the cat was the last one left to try and break through to Akira.

The black and white cat hopped off the desk and clambered over Akira's body, resting on the boy's shoulders. "Come on Akira, you gotta eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" He mewed, pushing at the teenager's cheeks with his fluffy paws. 

Akira tugged the covers over his head. "Go 'way" he mumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric. 

"Akira…" Futaba reached out to touch the boy's shoulder, but that was clearly a bad move.

"I said go away!" Yelled the ravenette, shoving Morgana off the bed and throwing one of his pillows at Futaba's face.

"Hey!" Yowled Morgana.

"GO AWAY!" screamed Akira, clutching his head in his hands.

Futaba and Morgana swiftly ran out of the attic in fear; this version of Akira was genuinely terrifying. Goro, however, stood his ground. Being yelled at was something he was uncomfortably familiar with.

"Leave!" Hissed Akira, glaring at Goro with teary eyes outlined by dark lines indicative of exhaustion.

"No." He snapped back cooly.

"Leave!" Shrieked the crying boy, weakly pounding his fists on the detective's chest.

Goro felt his heart shattering into a million pieces; this wasn't the Akira he knew and loved. _I swear I'll destroy the bastards that did this to him._ "Kurusu-" he started, trying to keep his voice soft.

"Leave!"

"Akira-"

That got his attention. The ravenette's fists slowed to a stop and clutched at the fabric of Goro's shirt. "Help me Goro," he sobbed.

"I-" the detective faltered. He hadn't expected to get through to the boy, so he had no plan beyond this point.

"I can't keep this up anymore… please." Akira slumped forwards, curling into the detective.

Goro didn't know what to say so he opted to awkwardly pat Akira's back. The two of them stayed like that for a while, but eventually Akira's breathing started to even out. Seeing his chance to maybe get the boy to eat, Goro gently pulled away from him and grabbed one of the now lukewarm plates of curry.

"Can you eat some of this for me Kur-" He paused, saying the ravenette's first time had gotten a better response last time. Maybe he should do it again? "Akira?"

The thief looked up at Goro, and then the plate. He stared at like it was some sort of weird bug.

"Please Akira." He begged, surprised by the desperation in his own voice.

Akira stared still a bit longer, but then he slowly reached out to take the plate with shaky hands. He managed to eat about half of it before shoving the plate back into Goro's hands and curling up in bed. 

.

.

.

After making sure Akira had soundly fallen back asleep, Goro took the half empty plates of curry back downstairs. As he stepped into the main part of the cafe he expected to see Sojiro smoking again with Futaba and Morgana sitting quietly at the counter. Instead, he was met by the entire Phantom Thief team nursing cups of coffee. They turned to him quickly when they heard him reach the bottom of the stairs, their hopeful expressions fading when they realised it was just him. Normally that would have stung a little, but he knew they were just as worried about Akira as he was so he ignored it and returned the plates to Sojiro. 

"Did he eat anything?" Asked the man as he cleaned off and washed the plates.

"Yeah, a little bit." 

Sojiro gave him a small smile, "good job kid."

"I-it was nothing." Goro cleared his throat with a tiny cough and sat down with the other thieves.

Not long after he sat down, Makoto cleared her throat and got everyone's attention.

"So, what with things being the way they are, I feel like we need to reevaluate our plans for Shido's palace."

He flinched a bit upon hearing the name of his bastard father, but thankfully no one saw it.

"The election is still about a month away, so we have time before we're forced to act." Started Morgana, standing on the end of the table. "But based off of what we know about Shido, his palace is probably very dangerous and very big. It would be unwise to go in without Akira, but even stupider to take him in as he is now." 

The other thieves let out mumbles of agreement.

"Will he even better in time to steal Shido's heart though?" Asked Haru nervously, looking at Futaba. 

"I-I don't know…" responded the hacker, fiddling away with her phone. "He still won't talk to Mona or me." 

"But he spoke with Akechi, right? Dude was up there for a while." Said Ryuji, looking over at him.

"I- me?" 

Suddenly all of the attention was on him. It felt like he was in another TV interview. 

Makoto seemed to notice his discomfort and pulled the attention away from him for a moment. "Did Akira say anything, Akechi, anything that might help us help him?"

Goro paused to think for a moment, recalling when Akira had said 'I can't keep this up anymore.' "I think… he's burnt out. But from what I'm not sure."

"Seriously dude? Aren't you supposed to be a detective?" Said Ryuji.

Makoto shot the loud mouth a glare before turning back to Akechi. "Thank you, that's a good start. Yusuke, you must get burnt out every now and then with your art. What do you do to recover?" 

Goro tuned out Ysuke's list of very odd activities - _what the hell do lobsters have to do with burn out?-_ and thought about how Makoto seemed to have taken over as the group's leader. He admired her ability to hold the rag-tag group together in Akira's absence and envied her ability to be such a natural leader. 

"Uh, guys?" 

Ann's nervous voice cut through his thoughts and brought his attention back to the present. 

"What is it?" Makoto asked, turning towards the girl.

"We… might have a bigger problem." Ann held up her phone with a shaky hand to show them all the Meta-Nav. 

"I don't get it, what's-" he quickly cut himself off upon seeing Akira's name in the Nav… with a hit.

_ No… no way… _

Gasps and horrified squeaks came from the thieves around him.

Akira had a palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the read!   
> Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome, I love hearing back from you guys!
> 
> Stay safe, and have a good night!


	3. The World is a Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I seriously can't get enough of theses two, so have another update!

_Okay, so Akira has a palace. That's not a huge deal, right?_ Goro paced back and forth in the kitchen of his empty apartment, gnawing his fingernails into nothing. _We go in, take out his shadow, steal the treasure and he goes back to normal… Right?_ He was broken out of his train of thoughts by the disgusting tang of iron in his mouth. He'd been chewing at his fingers so much he'd broken the skin on his thumb. 

"Shit," he cursed and strode over to the sink to wash out his mouth. He then retrieved a band-aid from the bathroom to stick on his thumb. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to put his gloves on to prevent further damage to his fingers. He heard his phone start to ring so he went back to the kitchen to answer it. Picking it up, he noticed two things, the first being that it was nearly midnight. _Holy shit how long have I been pacing? Second_ , he saw that the call was coming from Makoto. He answered it and slipped into his familiar, yet uncomfortable, TV persona to hide his anxiety. 

"Good evening Nijima-san, though I suppose it'll be "good morning" soon. What's troubling you so late?" He hated how fake and sickly sweet his voice sounded, but it was the lesser of two evils right now.

A tired sigh came through the phone, "you know you can use our first names right?"

"Oh- I uh…" his act slipped a bit, Makoto's response had caught him off guard.

"In any case, that's not why I called you." She paused for a moment, so Goro took the opportunity to move the couch for comfort's sake. "I wanted to talk with you about Akira's… situation."

"Ah," honestly he shouldn't be surprised. Everyone was probably awake thinking about it just like him.

"Futaba and Morgana tried talking to him again after you left, but they couldn't get anything out of him. I was wondering if you could try to speak to him tomorrow. We need to figure out what the distortion is, and you're the only one he'll talk to."

He felt a bit bad for getting excited to hear that Akira would only talk to him, considering the situation. "I can do that, yes."

He heard her let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"May I also add, I was very impressed with your leadership skills earlier today. You did quite a good job managing everyone's "chaos" in Kurusu's… absence." 

Makoto went quiet for a moment.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" He felt a pang of guilt dig into his chest, he'd hate it if he just made Makoto more upset than she already was.

"No, I was just a bit surprised. Thank you for the compliment, but… I was wondering if you'd consider taking on the role of leader during our palace raid."

"Me!?" He stood up in shock, completely taken aback by her request.

"Yes. Despite being the newcomer you're incredibly skilled, maybe even more so than the rest of us. Not to mention the fact that you and Akira have some sort of special bond. You've said it yourself before."

He silently stood in his living room, mouth opening and closing like a flabbergasted fish. 

"Of course, you don't have to decide now." She said quickly, "it was just a thought."

"Ah, yes, well… thank you Nijima-san. I'll think about it. Goodnight." He hung up before she could reply and dropped his phone onto the couch, his body following suit. 

_Me, leader? Is she insane? I'm no leader…_ He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He'd been alone his whole life. Unwanted and unnoticed until he pretended to be something he wasn't. He shoved people away and scorned them behind their backs, only recently was he starting to become a decent human being with the help of the thieves and Akira. Mostly Akira. Speaking of Akira, he'd done so much for Goro. He'd given him hope, friendship, love _, no shut up don't think about that_ , and a chance to get revenge on his asshole father in a way that didn't involve assassination. _He's done so much for me, now it's my turn to repay the favour._

With his mind made up, Goro changed into his pyjamas and went to bed. He didn't end up sleeping much though.

.

.

.

"Yeesh kid, you look awful." Commented Sojiro as he walked into LeBlanc.

"I know," he grumbled, irritated from his lack of sleep. As he yawned he saw Futaba and Morgana sitting in one of the booths whispering about something. Too tired to be interested he took the plates of curry from Sojiro - _how is eating curry everyday sustaining him?_ \- and went up to Akira's room. When he entered the attic he was surprised to see the TV on, and even more surprised to find Akira sitting up in bed staring at it, albeit blankly.

"Hey Kurus-" he noticed a tiny frown appear on the boy's face. "Akira?" He tried experimentally, remembering his success from the day before. 

The frown vanished.

"I brought up some curry, want any?"

Akira blinked slowly before tearing his gaze away from the TV and locking eyes with Goro. 

Oh _shit he's so handsome- not now!_ The detective cleared his throat with a little cough and sat down, placing one of the plates in Akira's lap. To his surprise for the second time that morning, the ravenette began to eat almost right away. _Thank God he's eating, I was getting worried I would have to feed him myself._ He pointedly ignored the ~~tantalizing~~ annoying thought of feeding a smiling Akira a piece of cake from his own fork and dug into his own curry. 

After both plates were finished and set aside, Goro discreetly turned on his phone and opened the Meta-Nav so he'd know when he hit the right word. He opened his mouth to speak, but Akira surprised him for the third time and initiated the conversion.

"I never had to act around you." He said softly, his voice barely a breath above a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Goro tilted his head curiously.

"I could be myself with you. No masks. No pretending. You saw through it all anyway."

He felt his cheeks heat up slightly. _Stupid heart stop beating so fast!_ "Well.. I could say the same to you," he replied, a bit surprised by his own honesty. 

The ghost of a smile passed over Akira's lips as he glanced at Goro. "I know."

"Ah-" he felt his cheeks heat up even more and was forced to turn away lest he risk Akira seeing his blush. 

Akira didn't wait for him to calm down before continuing. "Sometimes I feel like… like the world is a stage and I'm an unwilling actor…" He chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "Silly, right?"

"Not really. I understand how it feels to have to hide yourself." He flashed the ravenette one of his fake TV smiles. "I have to do it to "maintain my public image" or some bullshit."

Akira chuckled again, though this time it sounded a bit more genuine. "You're not nearly as charming as people think you are."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment as a testimate to my acting skills or an insult about my true personality?"

"Take your pick," hummed Akira.

So far his phone hadn't buzzed, so nothing they'd said already was the distortion. But he had a good idea as to what it might be. 

"So if the world is a stage, is life a theater?" He asked, trying his best to play it off as a silly question. 

_ Bzzzt _

"I suppose so?" 

The movie had ended and the credits were playing, Akira reached for the remote. "Want to watch Guy McVer with me?"

He felt a little tingle of happiness in his heart. "Sure." The palace could wait a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love hearing your feedback so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! :3


	4. Théâtre des Fantasmes

Akira had fallen asleep again halfway through Guy McVer, so Goro had turned off the TV and returned to the main floor of the cafe. Sojiro had been surprised, though very pleased, to find out that Akira had successfully finished a meal for once. It didn't take long for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to arrive at LeBlanc, so Goro soon found himself wrapped up in another meeting.

"Did you find out the distortion, Akechi?" Asked Makoto, getting straight to the point.

He nodded, "I did. It's "theater."

Confused and intrigued mumbles rose up around him as the thieves took in the information. 

"Well now that we have the distortion, all that remains is the location." Said Yusuke, propping his chin up on his hand. 

"I looked into it a bunch last night, but I couldn't get a hit on anything…" replied Ann. 

"What places did you try?" Asked Haru softly.

"Everything from LeBlanc and Shujin to that one ramen shop we ate at months ago."

"And you got nothing? For real?" Ryuji slumped over in defeat. "Maybe it's his hometown?"

"I'm looking into that right now," said Futaba, typing away on her laptop.

They all waited with baited breath for her answer.

Futaba groaned and dropped her head down onto her laptop. "Nothing…"

"Perhaps we're thinking too small, like with Kaneshiro. Perhaps Shibuya or Yongen Jaya is the location." Added Yusuke.

Makoto took out her phone and searched both options. "Nothing again, it's like we're missing something."

Haru looked over at Goro, "Akechi-kun, do you have any ideas?"

All the attention was on him once again and he felt a bit uncomfortable. "Ah- well…" He frowned in concentration and thought back to some of the things Akira had said earlier. One thing in particular really stood out: _"Sometimes I feel like… like the world is a stage and I'm an unwilling actor…"_

"World." He whispered, looking up at the thieves. "It's the world." He heard a ping coming from Ann's phone beside him.

"No way…" she gasped.

A pained look came over Yusuke's face and Morgana's ears flicked back.

"Well now that that's settled, I think we should go in right away."

"Are you crazy Makoto!?" Yelled Ryuji.

"Actually, Makoto is right." Morgana regained his composure and walked to the middle of the table. "We still have enough supplies left over from our previous raid to do a preliminary investigation. Besides, Akira needs us."

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Ryuji seemed to be considering it.

"Still, who's gonna be our leader? We can't take Akira in there."

Makoto glanced at Ryuji, and then back at Goro. Suddenly, he remembered their conversation from last night. 

"I'll do it." He stood up, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

Makoto gave him a tiny smile. "That's settled then. Let's go." 

Goro led them outside LeBlanc, not wanting to risk dragging Sojiro in by accident.

"Everyone ready?"

"Mhm!"

"Yes."

"Let's do this!"

He took a deep breath and input the information. "Akira Kurusu, theater… the world."

_"Candidate found, beginning Navigation."_

He closed his eyes as the world distorted around him, and when he opened them again he was met with a nightmarish wasteland. 

"This is even worse than I thought…" Murmured Morgana, now standing on two legs in his anthropomorphic cat form. 

The entire landscape looked like something right out of a horror film. The sky glowed an eerie crimson, though there was no sun or moon to be seen. The buildings around them were dark and shadowy, their outlines fading in and out of opacity. Most disturbing of all though, were the people. They all walked around with pale white faceless heads. 

"This is the palace?" Ann looked around, inspecting their surroundings.

"Yes and no," replied Morgana. "I'd wager it's similar to Oracle's palace. We are technically in the palace, but this is not where the treasure is hidden."

"I agree with Mona. There's no theater in sight, we'll have to go in farther to find the center of the distortion." Said Yusuke.

Goro nodded and turned to Futaba. "Which direction should we be heading, Oracle?"

Futaba's gloved fingers moved rapidly across her light screens as she searched for the strongest source of distortion. "That way," she pointed down one of the alleys. "Start walking and I'll tell you where to turn."

"Right." He drew his glowing saber and began leading the thieves _his thieves towards_ their greatest challenge yet.

.

.

.

"It should be just around this corner."

He nodded his head and stepped out into the open. He was met with a twistedly beautiful sight. 

"Holy shit… that's one massive theater," gaped Ryuji. 

Merely calling the building a "theater" was a grave understatement. Castle was a much more fitting word, especially with the gothic style architecture. The main section of the theater was built like a cathedral; it was laced with swooping arches, red stained-glass windows and intricate carvings. Not to mention, it towered up into the red mist of the sky. The top wasn't even visible. Both sides of the main section were flanked by massive open roof buildings of the same gothic design. The entire structure, save for the windows and dark-wood paneled doors, was made of polished black marble. 

"If it weren't for the situation, I'd love to paint it," mused Yusuke.

Goro stepped a bit closer, trying to read the golden inscription carved into the archway of the main entrance. "Théâtre des Fantasmes…" he murmured. 

Ryuji scratched his head, "the hell'd you say?"

"Théâtre des Fantasmes," he repeated. "It's french."

"I didn't know you spoke french." Makoto gave him a simultaneously surprised and impressed look from behind her mask. "Could you translate it for us?"

He nodded. "It means "theater of phantasms."

"That doesn't make any more sense than the french name," grumbled Ryuji.

"Oh Skull, you're pathetic." Groaned Mona.

"The hell'd you say to me cat?"

"I am NOT a cat!"

"Alright break it up you two." Ann pushed her way between Ryuji and Morgana and smiled at Goro. "I'm sure Crow would be happy to explain the meaning."

He rolled his eyes. "Illusion and deceit are both words that are synonymous with phantasm. So you could call it the theater of illusions or theater of deceit if you wanted."

"Oh, I get it now!" Ryuji grinned.

"Great, now we can move on to more important matters." Morgana hopped up onto a ledge to get a better vantage point. "Listen up! This palace will be like nothing we've done before. Joker is familiar with the Meta-Verse and our code names, so there's no telling what awaits us inside."

"Should we choose new code names for this mission then?" Haru asked softly.

"I like your thinking Noir." He mewed, "but in this case I don't think that would help much. Joker's shadow will still recognise us right away. But to remain professional we will continue using our code names."

They all nodded in agreement. 

Goro turned to Futaba, "Oracle, based off of your readings what do you think the best party strategy is. Offense, or defense?"

"Actually, I'm not getting any readings at all. It might be because we aren't in the palace yet but…"

"Either way it's suspicious," said Makoto. "I'd recommend a defensive strategy for now."

He nodded, agreeing with her judgement. "In that case, Mona, Queen and Skull, I want you on the front line with me."

The three of them nodded and promptly took up their places beside him the way they always had with Akira. _This is so weird…_

He looked over his shoulder to make sure the support group was ready before leading the charge into the palace.

He pushed open the enormous wooden doors and stepped into the main hall of the theater. The interior was stunning, the whole thing lavishly decorated in black and red with gold accents. Warm candlelight spilled from the massive golden chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Plush red velvet couches and armchairs lined the sleek black walls in perfect symmetry. The east and west sides of the rooms had massive arches not dissimilar to the main entrance, while the north side had a grand staircase leading upstairs on either side of a large alcove. In the center of the alcove sat a grand black and red chair, and in the chair sat an elegant man who could be none other than Akira's shadow. 

His face was stark white with black lips curved into a sinister smile. His golden eyes were framed with the same black pattern as Joker's mask. His hands were gloved, though the fingers were unnaturally long and tapered into points at the tips. A long, crimson tailcoat vest framed his torso; underneath it was a poofy, black long-sleeved shirt that matched his pants. On his throat rested a small red gem that held up an elegant white ruffle. For a shadow, he was incredibly attractive. _Focus! Just because he's sexy doesn't mean you should get distracted- wait what?_

"His shadow is here, already!?" Exclaimed Morgana.

"Good call on the defensive strategy, Queen." Said Goro, already falling into a defensive stance. "This bastard was waiting for us, there's probably a trap."

Shadow Akira stood up with a flourish, spreading his arms wide and beaming at them with that unfaltering smile. 

"Greetings, friends!" His voice was distorted with static; he sounded a bit like a radio host from the 1930's. His mouth didn't move either when he talked, which meant that what they were seeing wasn't his face, but rather a mask. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Oh yeah, the hell's that supposed to mean?" Growled Ryuji, swinging his pipe through the air as an intimidation tactic.

"Oh my, how crude," chuckled the shadow. "And here I was, wanting to invite you to my show."

"We're not here to see a show, we're here to save our friend!" Yowled Morgana.

"While we are more than capable of clearing this place room by room, how about you save us _both_ some trouble and take us to the treasure?" Makoto raised her spiked fists. All three of them were ready to attack, but they were waiting for Goro's call.

"Hold on a moment," he put out his hand to stop them from advancing any farther. "He hasn't been aggressive yet, let's hear him out."

Morgana and Makoto nodded, easing back into a more neutral stance. Ryuji, however, grumbled and reluctantly lowered his pipe.

"Ahhh, that's much better isn't it?" Purred the shadow. "I knew I could count on you, Goro, so calm and collected as usual."

He was a bit taken aback by the Shadow's use of his first name, but he hid it well, not wanting to show the creature any weakness. "While I appreciate the compliment, I'd prefer it if you got the point."

The shadow chuckled lightly and curled it's clawed hand over it's chin. "Originally I was going to invite you all to see my show… but alas… I was met with aggression. I could not possibly allow such people into my prestigious establishment, think of the patrons." He let out a sigh. "However, I am a generous man. Goro, I'd like to offer you a private tour of my theater." He bowed slightly and held out one hand. "What do you say?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'd like to thank you all for reading this chapter.  
> Second, I'd like thank @raedreams on Instagram for allowing me to use her design of Shadow Akira. All credit for the art and design concept go to her. She's an incredible artist so go check her out and give her some support! 
> 
> You can find her art of Shadow Akira here:  
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CE-PbGsAFWj/?igshid=tjb6702ce1on


	5. Tour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaaat? Two updates on the same day??
> 
> I'm totally not procrastinating my homework.

He stared down Shadow Akira and his outstretched hand. "That's an intriguing offer, may I discuss it with my teammates?"

"But of course." The shadow hummed and sat back down in the elaborate chair, crossing one leg over the other and resting his face on one of his hands.

Goro signaled for the thieves to gather around him.

"What the hell are you doing man, don't think for a second that freak won't double cross you the second it gets a chance." Spat Ryuji, his leg shaking angrily.

"For once I have to agree with Skull." Said Morgana, "shadows are unpredictable and we don't know enough about this situation to say for sure that you'd be safe."

"This is Joker's shadow though," countered Yusuke. "Would he really harm one of us just like that?"

"Fox has a point." Ann adjusted her stance, placing her hand on her hip. "Even in Oracle's palace her shadow didn't really do anything to hurt us. She helped us even."

"That was a completely different situation though…" Makoto reasoned. "Oracle _asked_ us to change her heart. Joker might not even know he has a palace."

"He hasn't made any attempt to hurt us though. Shadow or not, it's still Joker. I think we can trust him to keep his word," argued Haru.

"I also think we should let Crow do this." Oracle shutdown her light screens to look at them properly. "I still haven't gotten any dangerous readings, and this would be a really good chance to get more info on the palace."

"We've all made our points," Makoto looked at him. "The final choice is up to you though Crow."

Goro nodded, having already taken everything into consideration. "I've made up my mind."

The thieves parted to allow him to approach the shadow. "I accept your offer-"

Shadow Akira sprung to his feet. "Splendid!"

"-on one condition."

"Oh?"

"While I am gone with you, you will _guarantee_ the safety of my teammates." He crossed his arms. "Deal?"

"I have no reason to harm them, so yes. Deal." He snapped his gloved hand and four figures entered the main hall. They were just like the people outside the palace, faceless, though these ones were all wearing a matching uniform of black suits. They moved to stand guard over each exit from the main hall, save for the actual exit. Something about them was off though, their movements were jerky and unnatural. Their bodies bent and flopped in ways that shouldn't be possible, they almost resembled puppets without the strings. 

He gave Shadow Akira a suspicious look.

"Worry not Goro," it seemed he'd sensed the detective's doubt. "They are merely there to prevent your friends from getting lost in the theater."

He looks back at the others, wanting to make sure they were comfortable with this turn of events.

"The hell you worried about?" Asked Ryuji, grinning. "If these freaks try to attack us they'll be in for a nasty surprise!"

The other thieves laughed and nodded.

"We'll be fine Crow," reassured Makoto.

He gave them a nod and turned back to the shadow.

"Shall we?" He held out a crimson hand.

Goro nodded and after a moment of hesitation, took the shadow's hand and allowed it to lead him past a guard through the eastern archway. 

"So where exactly are we going?" He asked, admiring the elegant decor of the hallway they were in.

"Patience, my prince. All good things come to those who wait."

 _Prince!?_ He couldn't think of anything to respond with as he was far too flustered, so he just followed along in silence. He saw another archway at the end of the hallway and figured that that's where they were headed, but suddenly Shadow Akira turned towards the wall. He pulled back one of the decorative red curtains to reveal a hidden passage. "After you." 

Goro nodded his thanks and promptly entered the passage, not stopping to wait for the shadow as he climbed the stairs two at a time. When he reached the top and found himself standing on a small balcony overlooking a massive amphitheatre. _Well now I know what those side buildings were._ As he took a closer look at the amphitheatre he noticed that the audience area was packed with hundreds of faceless figures. _Why is everything here faceless? He_ wondered. He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts by the heat of a hand gently gripping his right shoulder. He turned his head and saw that it was Shadow Akira. The shadow moved to stand on his left side, keeping his hand on Goro's right shoulder. This left the detective stuck between the ~~handsome~~ shadow and the railing of the balcony. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Said Shadow Akira directly into his ear. 

Startled, Goro subconsciously flinched away, but the hand on his shoulder tightened its grip to prevent him from moving away. 

"Now now, the show is just about to begin. You wouldn't want to miss it, would you?"

He was able to find his voice in time to make a witty remark. "Depends on what kind of show it is," he smirked and leaned forwards, resting his arms on the black marble rail.

The shadow merely chuckled as the curtains opened on the stage. Goro watched with growing concern, sadness and anger as the show played out Akira's life since he'd come to Tokyo. Time and time again the boy was forced into stressful and unfair situations where he had to carry more than his own weight. Time after time, the ravenette silently took the injustices thrown at him. The audience was booing Akira too. Their faceless heads distorting and gaining large monstrous mouths with which to insult and belittle Akira. A few of them threw things too, yet Akira ignored it all and kept a smile on his face. 

Goro's jaw was clenched so tight that it hurt, and he swore he'd cracked the marble beneath his fingers with how hard he was gripping it. _How was I so blind? How did I overlook all of this?_

Slowly, the show crawled closer and closer to the present time. Suddenly, it was Sae's palace. This part of the show went by in a blur, but it was probably just because he knew what was happening next. Sure enough, the ambush happened and Akira was arrested. _Stupid stupid stupid, that would have never happened if I'd just destroyed the evidence when I joined them! What_ he saw next hurt his very soul. The police officers "interrogating" him beat him repeatedly and injected him with multiple syringes of who knows what. 

"Fight back you idiot!" He screamed, tears burning at the corners of his eyes.

But Akira didn't fight. He took it just like everything else that has been thrown at him. He stayed silent through everything they did to him. He refused to answer their questions, refused to sell out his friends. Refused to give in. 

The show ended and the actors left the stage, all except Akira that is. He just laid there, unmoving on the floor.

"Damnit!" He yelled, slamming his fists on the marble. Why the hell hadn't he done something sooner?

Shadow Akira cooed softly and tilted Goro's face upwards, removing the detective's mask.

"What are you-"

Clawed crimson hands gripped his face and gently brushed away his tears. 

"Don't cry Goro."

He knocked the hands away and slipped his mask back on. "Just continue the tour." 

"As you wish."

The shadow led him back through the halls theater, though he didn't pay much attention this time. Soon, too soon, he found himself in a second amphitheatre with the shadow. Except this time they were alone, there was no audience. Their steps echoed loudly in the massive space as Shadow Akira led him to the center of the amphitheatre where a small red velvet couch sat. The shadow bowed and gestured to the couch, so he hesitantly sat on it. The shadow followed suit, one of his hands gripping Goro's knee.

"Do you mind?" He asked cooly, not in the mood for anymore shadow tricks.

He was quickly silenced by a clawed finger pressing on his lips.

"It's rude to speak during a performance."

He was about to snap back with a retort when he noticed an actor walking onto the stage. It was Akira again. Unlike with the previous show, this Akira was talking to himself rather than the audience. Goro quickly realized that Akira was talking about _him._

"He's the only person I can truly be myself around, why is he so special?"

_Nonononono, this was a trick. The shadow is trying to manipulate me, and I'm not going to fall for it._

"What would my friends say?" He groaned. "I can't just tell them I'm in love with the detective trying to arrest us!"

_It's a trick it's a trick it's a trick-_

"And what about Goro? What if he doesn't swing that way??? What if he hates me and never talks to me again!?"

_I would never hate you._

"Pull it together Akira! Calm, composed, quiet." He took a deep breath and his neural composure returned. With that, the actor left the stage.

"Nice show," said Goro cooly. "I particularly liked the part with the emotional manipulation."

The shadow let out a noise of mock pain and placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Goro. Everything about that performance was true."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Very well. Now, there's just one thing left for me to show you."

Before Goro would even react, Shadow Akira had grabbed his hand and tugged him to his feet. He tried to pull his hand away, but the shadow had an iron grip. He gave in and allowed him to hold his hand and lead him to their last location.

This time he was led to an elevator, though it was an old fashioned one. He stepped onto the small platform with the shadow, and they began ascending. All around them was darkness, save for the front where the platform connected to each floor. As they passed by the floors, Goro got a glimpse into each one and saw that they were all small theaters. From what little he was able to make out, it seemed each one displayed a different memory of Akira's life in which he was forced to don a mask to hide his true self. After what felt like an eternity, the elevator stopped. This floor was a bit different though. Rather than an open archway into the area, there was a set of dark-wood doors. Shadow Akira strode forwards and pushed open the doors, revealing yet another theater, though this one was the grandest by far. The stage was awash in crimson light filtering in through the stained-glass windows adorning the walls and towering vaulted ceilings. This was the top, the last floor in the theater. 

He walked into the room, forgetting to keep his guard up due to how breathtaking the sight was. And there, in the middle of the stage on a small black podium floated a familiar shiny orb. The treasure. "Why did you show me this?" He asked the shadow, since giving away the location of the treasure gave the Phantom Thieves a massive advantage over him.

"Because you're my favorite, dear." Shadow Akira took advantage of his lowered guard, sliding his hands onto Goro's waist and pulling the detective towards him. With their chests flush against each other and a hand pressed firmly into his lower back, Goro was both trapped and _very_ flustered. It was at this moment that he realized Shadow Akira was much taller than real Akira, and by extension, him.

"So tell me Goro."

One of the hands slid up his body to cup his cheek.

"Am I your favorite?"

Getting too flustered and ~~aroused~~ to think straight, he shoved the shadow away from himself before things got too dangerous. 

"You said that was the last thing to show me, correct? Then I'll be on my way." He strode away from the shadow as quickly as he could and got into the elevator. Thankfully, he wasn't followed and it lowered him back down to the bottom floor. There was another set of wooden doors in front of him, so he pushed past them and found himself at the top of the two-sided staircase from the main hall. He saw the rest of the thieves safe and sound exactly where he'd left them. Feeling relieved, he walked back to them with a brisk pace. "Let's go for today," he hated how strained his voice sounded.

As they made their way to exit, Makoto turned to him. "So how was it?"

With his brain still very flustered and short-circuiting, he only managed to get out a very stupid response; "hot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the read! Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback! I love hearing from you guys!


	6. Insufferable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akira is a little shit.

"Hot?" Are you freaking kidding man?" Laughed Ryuji, giving Goro a powerful - yet friendly - slap on the back. 

"Please do not bring it up," he groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Mwehehehe, it's perfect blackmail material, I'll never forget it!" Futaba was furiously typing away on her laptop while cackling evilly. 

"It was a bit surprising hearing that from you of all people." Makoto was doing a much better job of hiding her smirk, though he could still tell that she was getting enjoyment out of this situation. 

"I said _forget it,_ " he growled. "Shouldn't we be discussing the details of the palace?"

"But you already told us everything," said Yusuke, looking up over his sketchbook. 

"Yes but-"

"So how long have you had the _hots_ for Akira?" Ann giggled and winked at him.

_I swear to God I'm reconsidering my choice to not arrest them._

"That is irrelevant, now we really should be discussing the infiltration ro-"

"I think you'd make a cute couple." Haru smiled sweetly, being genuinely nice unlike everyone else who was just trying to embarrass him into oblivion.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply, trying to stay calm. "My feelings towards Kurusu are my business and mine alone."

"So you admit you have feelings for him," said Makoto with a smirk.

"That's not what I-"

"I mean if I'm being completely honest dude, he probably likes you too."

Goro looked at Ryuji in shocked disbelief. 

"Yeah," Ann joined in. "He always talked about you, even before you joined us."

"Would you like me to read out his list of unsent messages to you?" Futaba asked, "you'd have to buy me a video game as payment though."

"I'm not even going to ask about that." _Or try to explain to you the many legal ramifications of having that information_.

"Honestly dude, just tell him how you feel. He's totally into you and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't make a huge deal out of it."

"I…" he sighed. "Thank you Sakamoto, I'll think about it."

"Good. Maybe then Akira will actually go to sleep instead of bugging me with stupid love advice," grumbled Morgana.

Goro pointedly ignored the cat's comment and turned back to address the group. "Even though we know where the treasure is, we can't guarantee that we'll be able to get there easily. The shadow only took me there, so it's quite possible that we're going to have to make our way there by force this time."

Makoto nodded thoughtfully. "Akechi is right, there's no guarantee that all of us will be able to get up there smoothly. We should go back in again tomorrow to make sure that we have a secure route."

"Another day? Are you sure Mako-chan? I don't want to leave Akira like this much longer…"

"Ha-"

Yusuke quickly cut Makoto off, "I do agree that leaving Akira in this state is something I wish to avoid. However, simply rushing in without a plan will do no good for anyone."

A collective murmur of agreement echoed across the table. 

"It's settled then," mewed Morgana. "We'll meet back here same time tomorrow and-"

The cat was abruptly cut off by the creaking sound of LeBlanc's stairs. 

Goro turned around and felt his heart shoot up into his throat; Akira was standing at the base of the stairs with a dazed expression on his face.

Silence had fallen over the cafe, the thieves had no idea what to do about the sudden appearance of their leader. 

"Hey kid, are you feeling any better?" Asked Sojiro cautiously.

They all waited with baited breath for the ravenet's response. 

Akira's eyes flicked over all of them, resting temporarily on Goro before flicking towards the counter. Without a word, he walked over and sat down in one of the chairs, staring blankly into the kitchen.

Goro heard the thieves whispering worriedly behind him, but he paid them no mind. His body was on autopilot, moving swiftly over to Akira. _What am I doing?_

"Akira." He said softly, sitting down next to the thief.

Said thief slowly turned to look at him, the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. 

"Are you hungry? I can ask Sakura-san to make you some curry."

Akira shook his head slightly and continued staring off into blank space. 

Goro turned to the shop owner in confusion, but Sojiro just gave him a bewildered shrug. The man didn't know what was going on either.

Going out on a limb, Goro followed Akira's gaze and found himself looking at a shelf that held boxes of tea. "You want some tea?" He asked, already congratulating himself for figuring it out.

Akira nodded slowly.

The detective turned to Sojiro, about to tell the man that Akira wanted tea when he was stopped.

"Go ahead and get what he wants, I trust you not to mess up my kitchen." Sojiro smiled, though there was a hint of a threat in his voice. Goro nodded and walked into the kitchen, shivering slightly because he knew he'd be done for if he broke something. 

Boiling the water was easy, the challenge came with picking the tea. Sojiro had a decent selection of flavours, but Goro had no idea what Akira liked. He'd only seen the boy drink coffee after all. _Lemon grass… apple cinnamon… peppermint… Bengal spice…_ He looked through the boxes, trying to find something that would suffice. Eventually he came across chamomile, his personal favorite. _It's calming te_ _a, so even if he doesn't like the flavour it should help him feel better._ He took a bag of chamomile and put it into the cup of hot water. He waited a few minutes to let the flavour steep and the water cool before removing the bag and bringing the cup to Akira. "Here, it's chamomile," he said softly.

Akira ignored him and began taking small sips of the tea, his face slowly relaxing into an expression of comfort. 

The cafe was quiet and calm, the Phantom Thieves had stopped whispering and were now just watching the scene before them unfold. Sojiro had long since flipped the sign to closed, giving the current occupants of the cafe privacy. Goro was seated beside Akira at the counter, silently watching as the boy slowly drained his cup of tea. As he drank, Akira's head started to droop. It seemed he was getting sleepy. 

Eventually, the ravenet finsihed the tea and leaned over on Goro, his face tucked into the crook of the detective's neck.

"Thank you," he murmured. 

Goro felt the hot breath on his neck, and his cheeks flushed accordingly. _God damn it why now!?_ "A-ah, no p-problem." He chose to ignore the snickers behind him. _They're all absolutely insufferable._

"Do you want to go back upstairs?" His voice was shaky and uncertain, still not used to speaking gently.

Akira nodded against his neck, but made no attempt to move.

_Is he doing this on purpose!?_

Goro sighed, his face growing redder by the second, and slowly stood up, keeping Akira supported against his shoulder. He somehow managed to get the boy upstairs and over to his bed.

Akira rolled over on his side, facing the wall, and closed his eyes. He didn't cover up with a blanket or even take off his glasses.

Goro sighed and tossed a blanket over the thief. "Idiot…" He turned to leave, but stopped to lightly take off Akira's glasses and place them on the desk. "You're just as insufferable as the rest of them…" _and I love you for it._

The detective went back downstairs and found all of the thieves smirking at him.

"What?" He growled.

"Oh nothing~" giggled Ann.

"You're so sweet Akechi!" Haru smiled at him sweetly.

Futaba was showing her phone to Ryuji and Yusuke while snickering. Goro didn't need to ask to know that it was a video or picture of him and Akira.

Makoto's smile was the most infuriating though. "I must say, I didn't know you were capable of being so affection Akechi."

He sneered at her, but the effect was undoubtedly ruined by the bright red blush on his cheeks. "You're all insufferable," he snapped, storming out of LeBlanc and going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter is in the works so it will be up sometime tonight or tomorrow!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! I hope you enjoyed my darker take on the mental state of Akira. I'll update this as soon as I can but right now school and my other fics have priority. 
> 
> Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome!


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